Warlock
by kamesen
Summary: The main character is an uninfected male version of the witch.  Featuring Zarla's female versions of smoker and hunter, and Jazaaboo's female versions of charger and jockey, all of whom have inspired me endlessly.  Rated M for violence and language.


"Take this.." The woman planted the gun firmly in his palm, and some blood came with it.

Warlock shook his head numbly, even as he held the weapon in his hand. "I...I can't-"

"That poor man won't be needing it anymore. Please, just help us fight some of these things off!"

Before he could say anything else, she had turned away, yelling something to another survivor. Everyone was rushing by; everyone was yelling.

"GET THOSE TABLES UP! PUSH THEM AGAINST THE DOOR!"

Warlock could barely breath, his eyes darting from door to door of the hotel lobby. The things were screeching madly, breaking glass with no hesitation to get inside.

_just want to leave_

His stomach was wrenched in knots, and his jaw pounded with pain because of how tightly he was clenching it. People's voices were losing integrity. Everything was blurring together. The gun was shuddering in his hands.

"Shoot! For God's sake, SHOOT THEM! Are you LISTENING? HELP US! _HELP US!_"

* * *

><p><em>Don't trust the government; this was a military project from the beginning!<em>

(anonymous, written on a saferoom wall)

* * *

><p>(fifteen years ago)<p>

The bitter taste of copper lined Warlock's throat as he sniffled again, trying to keep the blood from dripping out of his nose. The other students leaving school for the day avoided him, and climbed into waiting cars driven by either parents or caretakers.

Soon, a familiar black sedan drove up, and Warlock dreaded the unavoidable confrontation, despite also feeling relief at the opportunity to get away from school.

"Wilhelm, did you get into a fight?" his mother asked, as Warlock slid into the back seat. He refused to sit up front, as he had declared that seat reserved for his father. Warlock caught his mother's steady gaze in the rearview mirror.

"...Yes," he said quietly, putting on his seat belt.

His mother put the car into drive and moved away from the school. "You must avoid fighting," his mother insisted, "or else your hyphema will return."

Warlock said nothing in reply to this. He merely gave a small nod, sad for having disappointed his mother, and exhausted from another week of ridicule and class work at school.

"I do have some news," his mother spoke after a short while, and Warlock was surprised to see a smile on the woman's face in the mirror. "Your father will be waiting for you when we get home."

Warlock thought his heart stopped for a moment. "Dad?" he burst, gripping the seat belt across his chest tightly. "He's _better?"_

Warlock's mother grinned, happy to see her son's spirits soar. "Yes, all better," she assured. "I drove him in from the hospital this morning, just after I had dropped you off at school." Warlock was speechless at this. He sat back in his seat, sighing heavily in relief. Just as quickly though, he was sitting forward again and eagerly watching the roads, waiting impatiently for his mother to turn into their driveway...imagining his father waiting at the window to greet them...

It had been nearly three months since his father had been dragged forcibly from the house by an EMT staff. His degenerative illness had come to a point that keeping him in bed at home was no longer safe for him. A hospital stay was vital to monitor his declining health as doctors decided on possible surgeries and waited on donor transplant lists. Warlock remembered being awoken by screaming. A terrible, mournful screaming that would brand his mind for the rest of his life. He had rushed downstairs from his bedroom, to see his mother waiting by the door and wringing her hands to contain herself. The woman had seemed like she wanted to instinctively leap to her husband's side and bat the men away, but in her heart she knew that this was best for him. Sedatives and closed ambulance doors tapered his cries, and Warlock could only stand, frozen in the doorway as he watched his father being taken away from him. He would never forget the nights that followed, when he would sneak into his parents' room and sleep beside their bed, the sounds of his mother's sobbing following his own tears to sleep.

"How did they fix him?" Warlock inquired, watching his mother's face in the rearview mirror.

She glanced back at him. "They were able to perform the surgery, and then he went through two weeks of therapy."

Warlock thought this over for a moment. "Like my therapy?"

His mother smiled. "No, it's a little different than your therapy." She looked like she wanted to say something else, but stopped herself.

Warlock looked down at his shoes, fidgeting. After a brief silence, he looked into the mirror again. "Mom when are they going to fix ME?"

She gave a tired laugh. "Wilhelm, there is nothing wrong with _your_ bone marrow, and you don't have any tumors."

"I know, but why do I have to go to therapy? It would be better if I just didn't go to school."

There was a heavy sigh from the front seat. "Just be patient, please. Give it a chance. Do it for yourself, and for me, and for your father."

The mention of his father quieted Warlock again. He sat back in his seat, and imagined a life without school, without raspy, yelling teachers and throngs of obnoxious students crowding him and pushing him around.

Just then, he felt the car slowing down. Warlock opened his eyes, and he couldn't help but grin as he saw his house in front of him, with his father standing at the window and smiling. "Dad…"

* * *

><p><em>Remember to do your best, no matter how difficult it becomes. That way, the next time will be easier.<em>

(Mother)

* * *

><p>(present day, just prior to the outbreak)<p>

Warlock was thankful for the rotating fan in the corner of the room. Its constant breeze helped to ward off the muggy summer afternoon as his work day wound to a close. Currently, he was making a field visit to a client with a PC issue. As he installed drivers to the machine, she calmly stood by and smoked her second cigarette.

"It shouldn't be too much longer," he noted, turning around in the computer chair and thumbing pale bangs out of his eyes.

Smoker lowered the cig, blowing a stream of gray from her lips as she watched the status bar crawl across the screen. "What was the problem?"

Warlock glanced at the screen again, shaking his head. "The geniuses in software development released their patch too early. It had way too many flaws; someone exploited it with a virus almost immediately." He gestured to the status bar on the screen. "This fix should do the trick, though." Sure enough, the speakers 'pinged' as the update completed. "There," Warlock said with a smile, unplugging his thumb drive from the machine before turning to Smoker once again. "Your system is completely immune now."

"Awesome," Smoker replied, relieved. She put out her cigarette in one of several trays that seemed to be strategically placed around the apartment, and pushed away from the shelf that she had been leaning against. "What do I owe you?" she asked then, already taking out another cigarette.

"Nothing at all," Warlock replied, standing. This incited a surprised glance from Smoker as she placed the new cigarette between her lips. "It was my company that screwed up," Warlock explained, "so the fix is on us."

"Seriously?" Smoker asked, raising her lighter. She struck the flint several times, but swore under her breath as she noticed it was out of fuel.

"Seriously," Warlock affirmed. He drew a gray zippo out of the breast pocket of his polo shirt and handed it to her.

"'anks," Smoker grunted appreciatively, lighting her cigarette. She snapped the zippo closed with a satisfying metallic clink, and handed it back to Warlock. He waved a hand though, shaking his head.

"Keep it. I've got about twelve of them at home."

"You sure?" Smoker asked, hesitating. She wasn't one to pass up a free lighter, but..

Warlock smiled again as he gathered his things. "Yeah, forget about it. I don't know why I carry them around anyway; I don't even smoke."

Smoker thanked him again, and saw him to the door. When she came back, an uninvited guest was seated at the computer, playing minesweeper.

"Hey! Half-pint!" Smoker called out, shooing the girl away. "Don't touch that, I just got it fixed!"

Hunter grinned mischievously and mashed the keyboard with frantic, aimless typing. "I'm SERIOUS!" Smoker pressed, swatting at the girl's arm.

"Fine!" Hunter yelped, leaping out of the chair. She jumped onto the couch then, perching on the armrest and watching Smoker with an ever-present gleam in her eye.

"Where did you come from anyway," Smoker muttered rhetorically, seating herself at the computer and clicking away with the mouse.

"I was sitting outside!" Hunter announced.

Smoker threw an alarmed glance at her. "OUTSIDE? You mean you climbed the fire escape again? Do you know how DANGEROUS that is; those things are ready to fall apart!"

Hunter shrugged obliviously, pulling back the hood of her sweatshirt. "Hey, crank up the A/C, will ya? I'm boilin' in here!"

Smoker sighed deeply, turning her attention to the screen again. "Sure. I'll turn it on if you can pay for it." This earned her a pout from Hunter as the girl fidgeted on the couch. Smoker took a drag from her cigarette before continuing. "Why don't you take off that stupid hoodie. It's no wonder you're hot."

"Can't," Hunter replied, rolling onto the couch cushions and watching Smoker from an upside-down position. "I didn't bring any duct tape to replace my arm bands if I take it off."

Smoker rolled her eyes at this, and put out her cigarette.

A blissful moment of silence passed before she took out another one. After placing it in her mouth, she reached for her lighter out of habit, clicked it a few times, and then remembered the zippo that Warlock had given her. She reached for it on the desk...only to see that it had vanished. "Hey!"

Hunter hopped backwards from the desk, holding the metallic object in both hands. "OoOOooh, shiny!" She looked up, locking eyes with Smoker. "Your BOYFRIEND give this to you after he fixed your antique?" She pulled it away quickly as Smoker made a grab for it.

"Oh please! I can barely remember that guy's name!" she started angrily. Then, stifling a smirk, she added, "Although, he DID ask me out next Friday."

Hunter's mirthful smile faded, her eyes widening as she watched Smoker return to the computer as if nothing had happened. A moment passed before the older girl snorted, pursing her lips to keep from laughing out loud.

"YOU!" Hunter screamed, her cheeks burning. "DON'T _JOKE _LIKE THAT!" She threw herself at Smoker, who was laughing hysterically now.

"Your face!" Smoker cried, barely able to deflect Hunter's overhead blows as she laughed. "If you could see yourself!"

Hunter backed away, cheeks still blazing. "Whatever!" she sneered, tossing the lighter onto the desk. "Here's your stupid lighter!" She resigned herself to the couch again, sitting with her legs crossed under her and her arms folded angrily across her chest.

Smoker picked up the zippo, lighting her new cigarette while chuckling. "Why should you care anyway?"

"I _don't _care," Hunter answered immediately.

Smoker just shook her head, the smug smile remaining on her face as she typed away on her keyboard. "Of course," she replied.

A few moments of silence passed. Hunter flapped the bottom of her hoodie, and restlessly switched positions on the couch several times. She resorted to sitting directly in front of the fan.

"I know why it's so hot in here," she said finally.

Smoker stretched, rubbing her eyes. "And why is that?"

Without looking, Hunter responded. "You smoke too many darn cigarettes."

"...Go home. You're annoying."

"Can't. I'm too hungry."

* * *

><p>Just outside the building, Warlock put on a pair of sunglasses that his co-workers jokingly claimed to have been stolen from the Blues Brothers. He leaned up against the wall beside the entrance, and let his shoulders sag as he blew out a slow breath. As ironic as it was that he of all people worked in a customer service job, physically going out to job sites like this thankfully wasn't TOO frequent. When he finished tasks like these, he always needed a moment alone to gather his thoughts and calm down. Even something as simple as a quick conversation in someone's apartment could be enough to rattle his nerves.<p>

Warlock closed his eyes and drew in another breath, held it… …and then opened his eyes as he exhaled, realizing that he felt more or less ok. This client had been mostly quiet, very easy to work with. Warlock lifted a hand, glancing down at it to see that he wasn't even shaking in the slightest.

'_Repetition breeds familiarity.' Just like dad always said._

Warlock took a moment to scrawl a quick entry into a notepad journal that he kept in his pocket. He hated to admit it, but going out to see customers in person was getting easier. Warlock pushed away from the wall and checked his watch. He smirked, shaking his head.

_Great. I'm on the way to becoming a regular social dynamo._

Without another thought, he headed back towards the office.

Suddenly, a violently coughing person stumbled out in front of him on the sidewalk. Warlock dodged around the person, surprised, but kept walking. He kept his eyes on the person though, almost walking backwards to do so. The person coughed again, retched, and spat a mouthful of blood onto the pavement.

_Holy SHIT_

Warlock turned forward quickly, not stopping, too swept up in the shock of having been caught off guard by the person almost running into him and-

_No, shit, no no no STOP, for fuck's sake he might need help_

He abruptly halted, and turned back towards the man. "Ah-"

But he had vanished. Warlock just stood there, listening to his own shaking breath, his eyes drifting left, right. No one else around. He gradually gazed downward, at the blood splattered against the white sidewalk. Swallowing hard, one hand unconsciously moving to half-cover his mouth, Warlock took several small steps toward the spot where the person had been standing. The blood was the only evidence that what he'd seen had actually happened.

His trip back to the office was a blur. He couldn't think straight. Between berating himself for not stopping to help the man, and trying to replay the scene in his mind, Warlock's head was spinning.

Finally, he gathered enough wit to call emergency services. After he stuttered out the street address of where it had happened, they blandly thanked him and hung up.

Warlock slowly put the phone back in its cradle, staring at his computer screen. He still felt numb from the whole experience.

_Jeez...the way they sounded on the phone, you'd think they've been getting calls like this all day..._

* * *

><p><em>only thign to do kil yoursefl befor you turn<em>

(anonymous, written on the floor of an apartment)

* * *

><p>The suffocating heat had withered to a clammy dampness that blanketed the night. Smoker lay twisted among her bedsheets, beads of perspiration trickling down her skin with every shallow breath.<p>

A yell sounded from the streets below, through her open window. It was followed by another yell, and the sound of something metal being struck violently. Smoker awoke with a start, the racing of her heart pounding in her ears...the fading images of a nightmare quickly being replaced with anger. "Who in the fuck.." she croaked, torn between checking what time it was and trying to imagine who in their right mind would be publicly drunk on a work night. As she sat up in bed, wiping sweat from her eyes, she realized that the noises had stopped.

Smoker hesitated. The gentle hiss of the rotating fan filled the void that would otherwise be complete silence. She was tempted to lay back down, but her parched throat made her think otherwise. Shifting out of bed, she then padded over to the kitchen area. Smoker winced as she hit the wall switch, instantly regretting turning the lights on. She fumbled for a glass, filled it at the sink, and turned the lights off again.

As she returned to her bed, sipping on the water, the noises started again... Smoker lowered her glass, her brow creasing as the sounds filtered up through her window. They were getting closer. The scrape of hollow metal on brick was soon accompanied by rapid, heavy breathing.

_Oh my God..._

Just as Smoker was beginning to think of the nearest thing that she could use for a weapon, a shadowed figure pulled itself through her window. Smoker felt adrenaline shoot through her, jolting her from half asleep to fully awake.

"..Hunter?"

The figure stood up straight- something was sticking out of its back. No, slung _over _its back. A bat. Smoker's eyes fully adjusted to the dimness once more, and she felt her lungs nearly collapse in relief as she noticed the cat ears on the hood of the figure's sweatshirt.

"We have to leave-" Hunter started.

"What the HELL-"

"-right now!"

"-are you doing here?" Smoker hissed.

She took a surprised step back as Hunter advanced suddenly, revealing her sweaty, flushed face, wide eyes, and-

"Is that _blood_?"

"It's not mine," Hunter answered immediately, grabbing Smoker by the arms now. The older girl was taken aback by this. Something was obviously wrong. A dozen explanations streamed through her mind at once- _she's in a gang- she got in a fight- someone's after her- _

Nothing could have prepared her for what Hunter said next.

Staring straight into Smoker's eyes, the bloodstained girl spoke in low tones, her voice shaking.

"Everybody's killing each other."

Smoker felt a primal tingle shoot down her spine, and she actually shivered in Hunter's grasp as she studied the girl's panting face. Hunter loved to play jokes, but Smoker knew her long enough to tell that this was no lie.

"Everybody..?" she repeated, her throat dry again despite the water she'd just drank.

"We have to go," Hunter said again, releasing her friend and walking further into the apartment.

"Hunter, what's going on?"

"I _don't know._" She was rummaging through shelves, almost as she would when she came over in the past. Although not in the same manner. Not scrounging for a snack. There was a frantic survivalism to her movements. "I was gonna go running, but when I went outside people were just...just..." She paused, at a loss for words. "I ran back inside and got my bat, I..." Hunter turned to Smoker again, coming back to her and grabbing one of her hands. "I had to come to you, I had to get you and we...we have to go, we have to _GO!"_

"Hold on, just calm down a second!" Smoker argued, rubbing her eyes. "Let's call the police, ok? We'll-"

"They're out there already!" Hunter interrupted frantically. Sure enough, feint sirens could be heard in the distance. "It's not safe here, we have to leave this area-"

Angry, incomprehensible voices and low growls sounded in the hallway outside Smoker's apartment. People were running past the door, as if they were chasing something. Both women watched the door with growing discomfort before looking to one another again.

"Please," Hunter begged, genuinely frightened. "Please come with me."

"Ok," Smoker agreed, nodding, still wide-eyed. "Ok. We'll go..." This was all coming as a surreal, second-hand shock to her. Numbly, she snatched up a pair of jeans and a shirt and threw them on, half watching as Hunter nervously scoured the place. Then, Hunter mumbled something..

"What?"

Hunter turned, her eyes shadowed under the hood of her sweatshirt. "I said you should get a weapon."

The growling outside of the door had grown louder. People started banging on it.

* * *

><p><em>Shit. Shit, shit, shit, eight metric tons of SHIT.<em>

Warlock chewed hard on a lollipop stick, wishing that he had an entire bag of the sweets to distract him. More people were shoveled into the high-school gymasium. More voices were added to the din, more bees buzzing inside his skull.

He pushed himself even further into the corner of the enormous and yet not-nearly-big-enough room, arms folded tightly across his chest. One hand idly tugged at the button on the breast pocket of his shirt. His other hand drummed an erratic beat along his ribs, and he was starting to nervously hum to himself.

_WAY too many freaking people in here._

Men and women in hazmat suits were directing groups of newcomers around, through hastily-erected tape barriers and lines.

_Please let this be some stupid drill, please just let me go home soon-_

-Warlock felt the guy's presence before he saw him. A big man in pajamas sauntered into view, way too close for comfort, looking half-awake. "Do you know what's going on?" he asked Warlock.

"No." Warlock replied stiffly.

_Why do they always come to ME, why do they always ask ME_

The guy hadn't moved on. He was still standing there.

"Do you know where there's a bathroom?"

Warlock flattened his hand, striking the air firmly towards the bleachers and directing the man away from him. He didn't have a clue where the bathroom was, but he REALLY needed that man to be out of his face. The guy would doubtlessly wander off and ask someone else.

This was getting to be too much. Waiting in line at the DMV wasn't this bad. Waiting in central station in the middle of a crowd for the train to arrive wasn't this bad.

_Just caught me off guard, that's why…as usual. That's it. I wasn't prepared._

He thought back to the hard knock on his apartment door. The man on the other side looking like he had just walked out of E.T. and was checking for aliens. 'All citizens are ordered to relocate to the nearest checkpoint, as directed by CEDA.' It hadn't been a polite suggestion.

Now, stuffed into the muggy and overcrowded gymnasium, the words 'What's going on?' repeatedly came up here and there amidst the cacophony of mindless chattering. Warlock didn't CARE what was going on –although he had a sinking feeling it was related to the scene he'd witnessed earlier in the day. All he cared about was getting the hell out of here and going back home, to his apartment, where he could be ALONE. The armed CEDA agents at the exit didn't look like they were about to just let people start walking out of here, though…

Someone was yelling. Warlock's pupils dilated and he honed in on the commotion, flattening himself against the wall as he saw bodies shifting violently. Towards the center of the gym, it looked like a fight was breaking out and getting bigger, fast.

_Oh God…no, no, no…_

More people in hazmat suits raced into the gym- someone was thrown to the ground- everyone was screaming now, and it was impossible to tell what anyone was saying-

-but CEDA agents were raising their guns...

* * *

><p>"Ok, that's it.." Smoker lowered her cell phone from her ear, still holding on to the fire escape tightly with her other hand. She looked at Hunter. "Charger and Jockey are going to meet us on First Street in her jeep. It's just outside the city limits; she said the roads were too cluttered otherwise and-" she stopped talking as a crash sounded from the window above them. "Fuck, they're in my apartment!" She quickly began thumbing the cell phone once more. "This is insane; I gotta try the cops again.."<p>

"Forget it, let's GO!" Hunter urged, pulling on her friend's arm.

Smoker reeled a bit. "Whoa, easy! I'm not a spider monkey like you, ok?" Together, the two women made their way down the fire escape, towards the street below…

* * *

><p><em>How did this happen? WHEN did this happen? When is the government going to help us? Are there ANY evac sites left! If anyone reads this, please find me. I'm going to stay here, on the second floor.<em>

_-Marshall Dissler_

(written on a piece of paper in a shopping mall evac tent)

* * *

><p>"WATCH OUT!"<p>

Warlock sucked in a gasp, backpedaling away from the street corner just as a car came rushing past and missed him by inches. He pressed himself against wet brick as he watched the car slam into a wall- fire flashed briefly and he covered himself in reflex.

As the explosion of glass and metal rung in his ears, Warlock slowly opened his eyes. People were running by- the driver was dead- it was on fire. Rioters were being drawn to the noise.

_This can't be happening.._

Against his instincts, he rolled back around the corner and hit the streets running.

Pandemonium spread in front of him- the scene he'd just left. And behind him, the car went up in a short-lived fireball of ignited fuel. The remaining glass was sent in all directions, fragmented shrapnel that bit into looters, children, and who knows who the fuck else. And they all screamed. Their cries rose above the general chaos for a second before being swallowed up again in the resounding yells of the city's rioting crowds. He'd managed to escape the scene at the gym, only to be faced with this- a city in complete chaos.

_Wake up_

He skidded, barely ducked under a maniac swinging a CD rack-

_wake UP_

-put on a burst of speed, grunted as he pushed hard off of his right foot and cleared a writhing brawl-

_now would be a GREAT TIME to __**WAKE UP**_

-sprinted hard, pumping his arms for short-term speed. He was not dreaming.

_just need to get away, get to where there's no people_

He dodged left, too early.. the guy who was sizing him up a few feet away anticipated the movement with animal-like fervor, and jumped right into Warlock's path. Too close to dodge again, Warlock threw his weight into his next step and drove his elbow into the guy's face even as he felt hands clawing at him. A surge of adrenaline shot through him from the impact, and the guy went down hard. Warlock stumbled past the encounter, praying that he didn't fall. The man's wild eyes stuck in his mind as he kept running, elbow throbbing, but he didn't notice the pain. Something was wrong with these people.

_can'tthinkaboutthatnowkeepRUNNING_

This was too much for him to bear. Wild panic and savage instincts had all but taken over his body. His breaths were coming too short; each one felt like acid. Throwing a glance behind him first, Warlock shortened his steps quickly and tore left, ducking into a narrower alleyway than the one he'd first tried. His eyes searched frantically, but saw no movement. Warlock jogged a short ways down the alley before stopping to catch his breath.

Doubled over, spit hanging from his mouth, he gasped. Forced himself to control his breathing so that he wouldn't vomit. After a few moments, he began the scattered process of collecting himself and trying to recall exactly how this had happened...

It seemed like it had begun as a fight...and branched out into a city-wide _war. _Warlock cautiously glanced at the mouth of the alley, still breathing hard. He ducked halfway as a crowd of looters rushed past in the streets. No, not looters...they hadn't been carrying anything. Just running, screaming. But not frightened crying or yelling. Just...wild insanity.

_What in the fuck is happening..._

Warlock froze as one of the women doubled back, coming into view at the alley's entrance once more. She caught sight of him, yowled like an animal, and came at him with bloody teeth bared.

* * *

><p><em>not safe to hide<em>

_they will find you_

(anonymous, written on a saferoom wall)

* * *

><p>"Cell phone won't work anymore," Smoker announced, shoving the useless device into her back pocket.<p>

"SHH!" Hunter answered harshly, gesturing with a hand as they slowly rounded a corner of the building outside.

"Maybe we should just go back to th-"

"_SHHH!_" Hunter repeated with urgency, turning to glare at Smoker. The other woman was again taken aback by her friend's strange behavior, but nevertheless stopped talking.

As Hunter turned towards the street again, Smoker followed her stare and instantly saw the cause for silence. Up ahead, two men were beating each other senseless.

Smoker's mouth began to reflexively form the first syllables of a phrase denoting bewilderment, but her instincts got the better of her at the last moment and she merely watched the display of violence, gaping in silence.

She had seen enough drunken bar scuffles to know that this was different..._wrong _in so many ways. The men were swinging like wild animals, uttering sounds like stuck pigs and frothing like rabid dogs. Smoker reached out, taking firm hold of the back of Hunter's sweatshirt and pulling slowly. Hunter followed, backwards into the alley, not taking her eyes off of the two savage men.

Just then, one of them knocked the other one down and swung full-force at him, clobbering the man's head against the pavement and breaking his own wrist in the process. Smoker winced at the wet snap of bone...and then gasped as the man immediately turned his insane, bloodthirsty eyes on them.

"Shit!" Smoker hissed, pulling frantically on Hunter's shirt. "RUN!" She turned and pulled on her friend as she bolted, but was surprised as Hunter resisted- enough that the shirt slipped out of Smoker's hand.

"No!" Hunter called back. "If we run, we're just gonna' run straight into _more _of 'em!"

Smoker was torn between fleeing and staying by her friend's side as the deranged man staggered towards them. "Are you CRAZY?" She reached again for Hunter, but froze as the man howled and broke into a run.

Hunter was ready, and swung her bat straight at the man's head. But he lunged at the last moment, his forearm taking the blow as he barreled into the two women.

Smoker grunted as she fell hard onto the asphalt, adrenalin surging through her. As she pushed herself up, fear was quickly replaced by liquid anger. The madman had Hunter pinned, and was swinging wildly at her while Hunter desperately pushed him away with her bat.

"_Fucker-_" Smoker barely heard herself say, suddenly weightless as she flung herself off of the street and closed the gap to the assailant.. She grabbed two handfuls of damp t-shirt and _heaved, _grunting with effort. The man staggered back, losing his balance and tumbling hard onto the ground, where he spit and writhed madly.

She was on him in a second, her left knee ground into his sternum and one hand gripping his shirt as her other hand came down again and again, hitting him in the face and the neck. The maniac screamed and thrashed violently beneath her.

Smoker sucked in a breath through clenched teeth as she lost her balance. She reeled back, trying to gain enough momentum to hit him again, his hands grabbing at her shirt, fingers digging into the fabric and bruising skin beneath- when Hunter's bat came down.

Hard wood cracked against the flesh and bone of the man's skull, and Smoker barely had time to pull her fist away, eyes wide, as Hunter raised the bat high and struck again. The man wheezed as his body trembled beneath Smoker, his last breath fading into wetness as blood filled his lungs. The hollow sound of wood hitting bone against concrete echoed one last time before Hunter stopped.

The alley was filled then with only the sound of two women gasping for air. Smoker and Hunter locked eyes, too out of breath to ask the first thing that was on both of their minds, 'Are you ok'.

Smoker pried the dead man's fingers off of her shirt with shaking hands and stood, backing away several feet from the corpse until she hit the wall of the apartment behind them. Her head spun with the weight of what had just happened, but her main concern quickly surfaced amidst it all. Hunter. The other girl stepped around the body to join her, and Smoker reached out to grab her shoulders.

"You're ok?" she asked, between gasps. Hunter nodded, the poor girl's eyes as big as dinner plates. Smoker was sure she looked the same.

"And you?" Hunter replied.

"Yeah 'm...fine" Smoker swallowed, looking past Hunter at the body laying prone on the concrete. "Thanks..."

"S'me who should be thanking YOU," Hunter responded, staring at the corpse on the pavement. "These things...aren't human."

"Fuck," Smoker cursed breathlessly, spitting on the ground beside them. She looked to Hunter then, her brow creasing in alarm. "And you said there were _more _of them out there?"

* * *

><p><em>It isn't the zombies we have to worry about.<em>

_It's our fellow survivors._

_People become the true monsters when the shit hits the fan._

_Watch your back._

(anonymous, written on a saferoom wall)

* * *

><p>The gun had stopped shaking in his hands. It was an odd sort of calm, one that he didn't have time to ponder. All Warlock could do was stare down at his hands, at the perfectly steady gun. From the point where the crazed woman had charged at him in the alley, to running into some other people trying to survive, to leaving them again, to now, twenty minutes of horror had nearly broken him. He was beginning to lose touch with himself.<p>

_Who did this gun belong to_

Slowly, the sounds of chaos filtered past his momentary trance. He blinked several times, and then shot a glance upward as bright lights beat down on him and helicopter blades kicked up a fierce gust.

"This is the police!" a voice shouted through a megaphone from above. "Put down your weapons immediately!" Warlock squinted at the chopper, shielding his eyes with one hand. "There has been an outbreak of violence. Any persons who are unaffected will be cleared for evacuation."

Warlock began to stoop forward, ready to drop his gun. The helicopter hovered overhead, its blades producing a steady wind. Corpses lay along the street below, around Warlock, their bloodied clothes and hair ruffling in the gale.

_No more. I just want to get away from all this._

"There are several more helicopters en route to this location," the voice rang out. "Please put your weapons down and approach the-"

Warlock jumped as several gunshots rang out. The helicopter engine thrummed almost angrily, the vehicle pivoting in the air-

His gun remaining in hand, Warlock searched the streets and quickly caught sight of several people- one of them holding a gun aimed towards the chopper, and the other shouting something and hurling debris. They didn't look sick like the others, but..

_Stop_

Warlock wanted to cry out, but he could barely move.

_They're just here to help us_

The gun suddenly felt weightless..

Meanwhile, the people showed no signs of ceasing their destructive actions toward the police.

_STOP!_

The man fired his revolver again-

-and was answered by the hollow, metallic pop of Warlock's 9mm. The man jerked, looked around in bewilderment, and almost immediately crumpled to the street. The other person stumbled backwards, dropped the remaining debris, and then fled.

Warlock's gun clattered on the pavement. His lungs pulled desperately at the air, but suddenly couldn't find enough in the roaring wind that whipped around him.

_I killed him_

"Turn around," the voice on the megaphone ordered.

_I killed him, they saw me, I killed him_

_He was shooting at them, HE was trying to kill THEM, that's why I did it_

_I had to._

_I had to_

_I.._

He slowly raised his hands, which were quite visibly shaking again.

_Those others from before weren't...really people, but just now...I killed..._

"TURN AROUND, SLOWLY." Shadows were rushing along the street corners blocks away.

Warlock did as he was told. Numbly moving one foot, pivoting on it, and then turning to stare directly up into the bright spotlights.

"Oh my God..." the voice behind the megaphone uttered.

Warlock spread his fingers apart on each hand above him, half expecting to be gunned down if they suspected for one moment that he still held a weapon.

"You, by the door! How many do you have with you?" the voice ordered. Confused, Warlock blinked several times in the din of the whirring blades, looking around him. His stomach dropped as he witnessed the wide, panicked eyes of three small children crowding around a woman. The group was clustered near an apartment entrance. Obviously they had heard the helicopter, and the commanding voice of the officer, and decided to come out. But with the violence that had just happened, they were frozen in their tracks.. stuck between salvation and isolation. No man's land.

"Shit," the voice muttered aside, still audible through the megaphone. Another voice could be heard beside his, but not as clearly. A woman's. Presumably the pilot.

Warlock stayed where he was, watching the children. Watching them cling to the hem of their mother's shirt. A clatter of footsteps and growling noises made him gasp just then, and his eyes shot from alley to alley across the urban wasteland of burning cars and dead bodies.

"Listen!" the voice on the megaphone shouted. "We're gonna drop a rope ladder down! Get those kids on board, NOW!"

Warlock felt a sense of relief. In the midst of this chaotic, violent madness, some semblance of order was forming.

_Right.. the people, they need to leave. The people need to leave._

"C-come on," he started, his voice floundering. He swallowed, gathered himself. "Come on!" he yelled, waving his arm in a wide motion towards the woman. She met his eyes, hesitating only briefly before urging the children onward. They tottered across the road, with the woman guiding each one carefully.

The first child began to climb the ladder, after some reassurance from the woman that she would be right behind. Warlock glanced from the climbing child to the road- a noise alerted him. The shadows that had been gathering at the end of the street were growing in number...and getting closer.

"They're coming back," he muttered aloud, feeling his heart begin to speed up again. The second child was climbing, and the first was being helped into the chopper by an officer. "Hurry!" Warlock added.

_Shit, shit SHIT-_

He held the rope ladder steady, shutting his eyes as the woman carried the last child up.

The psychos were moving around cars like a raging torrent, their ragged breathing and scattered growls causing a lasting shudder to wrack Warlock's body. He knew in his primal mind that this mob was more than capable of ripping a human to shreds, and he didn't need to look behind him to know how close they were. Dozens of feet slammed against pavement, and bodies violently pushed past the last obstacles keeping them from him. It took all of the remaining shreds of his will not to just break into a frantic run.

"COME ON!" the officer shouted. Warlock's eyes snapped open. He looked up, and could see a silhouette reaching down. In that moment, he was ironically conflicted by the growing dread of sitting in the cramped helicopter cabin with more survivors, a helicopter which would surely take them to yet another crowded checkpoint and-

He placed one foot on the bottom rung...

And then, through the haze of animalistic growling came one sound that froze him. A single, mournful wail pierced the air.

_Can't go with them_

Warlock stood between the horde and the survivors, completely still aside from the wind blowing his clothes and hair. Above, the children peeked over the edge of the chopper bay door at him.

_Killed someone, can't go back.._ _Can't go with them._

"COME _ON_!" the officer yelled again, frantically.

_Still more people to help, can't go back._

"_**GO!**_" Warlock screamed, shoving the ladder away from him and bolting to the left. Fingers brushed against his shirt, belligerent cries sounding in his ear- the chopper swerved away from the scene, the officer swearing aloud- up and away, escaping the horde's prying hands. Warlock ran as hard as he could, sprinting for the apartment ahead. As he hit the door, he quickly dashed to the right, knowing they were on him. Knowing that if he had stopped to try and open it, he would be dead.

Sure enough, dozens of bodies slammed into the door behind him, angry, bloody screams following him as he ran. Around the apartment, through the alley.

_Need to get inside-_

They were pouring into the alley behind him, snarling, bellowing psychotic monsters. Warlock caught sight of a half-raised fire escape ladder and _jumped_, grunting with effort- his hand slapped metal, wrapping around the bottom rung. Immediately, hands were grabbing at his legs, and he cried out in shock as several of the things pulled hard at him. He began kicking frantically, while maintaining a death grip on the fire escape ladder. Finally he broke free, wincing as his shoes were ripped off of his feet.

Warlock climbed like a maniac, clearing the top of the ladder and toppling onto the steel mesh balcony a story above the street. The horde buzzed fiercely beneath him, furious at his escape. Handfuls of them broke off from the main group, quickly followed by the others as they tried to find a way to get to him.

He just lay there, breathing hard and wracked with a sudden fit of coughing as he choked on his own saliva, frantically watching the horde disperse. And then, in the absence of their presence, he heard her again. The crying woman, her wails echoing out into the city street.

_Someone's still here...still alive. Can't go back yet._

Ignoring his burning limbs, Warlock shakily pushed himself up to a crouched position, stifling more coughs.

_I have to find her. Get her to the roof. Choppers'll pick her up from there..._

The desperate plan unfolded as he stood, half doubled-over, hands planted on the windowsill leading into the darkened apartment. He had no idea when the other helicopters would arrive. He had no idea where the woman even was. But, her piercing cries steadily continued, beckoning him inside...

* * *

><p>"Are you serious?" Hunter hissed, trying to keep her voice low despite her bewilderment. Smoker closed the zippo with a metallic clink, drawing heavily from the freshly-lit cigarette. Her expression seemed to say 'What?' as she glanced at Hunter.<p>

The younger survivor huffed in disbelief, shaking her head as they walked along. "I can't believe you found time to grab your cigarettes AND that guy's stupid lighter before we left." She adjusted the makeshift strap over her shoulder. "You could have grabbed a first aid kit, or something else USEFUL!"

Smoker snorted in reply. "All I had were bandaids anyway," she muttered. After a moment, and with some concern, she added, "Why, are you hurt?"

"No," Hunter grumbled, suddenly unsure about how to feel at the moment. She stifled another sigh of dismay as she listened to Smoker drag from the cigarette again behind her. As much as she wanted to rant about the health risks of tobacco, Hunter kept quiet. They'd been down that road before, and now was certainly not the time. Still, it bugged her.

They walked in silence for a little while. Speculations about what was going on and what had caused this had passed the time beforehand. So far, they had taken only alleyways and back roads, keeping away from the main part of the city. Thankfully, the deranged people (if they could even be called people) had only just brushed the outskirts. Fleeting shadows and quick breathing were all the two had encountered in the past twenty minutes.

"Well," Smoker broke the silence, pausing for a moment. Hunter stopped, turning to look at her friend. "We should be out of the city soon if we just keep heading this way." The older of the two took one last drag on her cigarette. "Problem is, sooner or later we're going to have to cross over to the main road." She watched Hunter's eyes drift aside to something, squinting. Smoker continued, ignoring the girl's lapse in attention. "Anyway, we-" she tossed the smoldering butt aside-

-and Hunter leapt forward all of a sudden, hands outstretched. Smoker jumped in surprise, watching as Hunter swatted the cigarette butt with her bare hands. "Ow, OW!" she yelped, juggling the burning ash.

"Hunter what the HELL," Smoker exclaimed, stepping back as the girl finally threw the butt aside and stomped it out fervently. "What was THAT for?" Smoker demanded, suddenly realizing that her voice was getting louder, and shooting a glance around before returning her attention to the girl.

Hunter clutched one hand under her armpit, wincing as she pointed with the other. Smoker, bewildered, followed the girl's gesture until she realized what Hunter was pointing at.

Beneath some toppled cinder blocks, several cherry red gas canisters sat against the wall- right where Smoker had almost landed the burning cigarette. "What the-..." the woman took a closer look, shifting one of the blocks aside. A sheen of spilled gas covered the canisters, forming a small puddle beneath them. "Holy _shit," _Smoker cursed, standing upright. She took a few angry steps away, shaking her head. "What kind of idiot leaves..." After some garbled swearing, she turned to Hunter again, noticing that the girl was still nursing her hand.

Smoker exhaled heavily, her shoulders sagging. "Hunter, I... I'm sorry." She walked back to her friend. "I'm tired as hell; I wasn't thinking."

Hunter looked up, managing a smile. "It's ok," she replied. "Really, it's nothing." Her smile faltered a little as Smoker studied her face for a long moment with tired eyes.

"Here," Smoker said, reaching into her pocket for something. She withdrew a small, crumpled box.

Hunter blinked in surprise. "You...you actually brought the bandaids."

Smoker almost looked embarrassed as she pulled one of the strips out of the box and gestured for Hunter's hand. "I thought it would be better than nothing," she admitted.

Taking Hunter's hand gently, she examined the damage. "Just a blister, you'll be fine," Smoker reported. She peeled the backing off of the bandaid and carefully applied it to Hunter's palm. "There."

Smoker put the box away once more and smiled affirmatively to Hunter. "Good as new."

The girl was practically beaming at her. "Thanks Smoker," she said.

"Sure thing," Smoker replied, smiling, just amused to see the girl look so happy after everything that had happened tonight. A moment passed, and Smoker didn't look away. She knew that they would have to return to the dangerous journey out of the city, the horrifying reality of the situation. For just right now, though..

Hunter studied her friend's eyes, finding comfort in companionship- realizing then that if not for Smoker, she would be alone right now.. "Smoker," she started quietly, lowering her gaze, "I'm really glad you-"

Smoker grabbed her suddenly, moving her forcefully down. Hunter gasped, trying to keep her balance but falling backwards. Both women tumbled to the street, and Smoker drove Hunter backward with surprising strength so that they were pressed up against a nearby dumpster. Hunter stared in shock at Smoker's face, the other woman's lips spilling hasty breaths between them.

"Sm-" Hunter was silenced immediately by a hard-pressed hand against her mouth. Smoker's other hand was gripping her arm nearly to the point of pain. Hunter rolled her eyes upward, looking at Smoker's face. Her friend wasn't even looking at her. She was looking straight ahead, over her- and her lips were trembling. Smoker ducked down suddenly, her eyes now level with Hunter's, her face no more than an inch away.

And then Hunter heard it. _Felt _it. The street shook once, twice. Something inhumanly large was moving. Smoker's eyes glared fiercely, her brow creased hard in primal fear as she held her gaze fast to Hunter's. The younger girl felt her stomach suddenly knot as someone... some_thing _grunted, with all the potency of a rhinoceros. Bits of rubble scattered past the dumpster as the thing breathed outward. It moved again, and Hunter's mind scrambled in a frenzy to put images to sounds. But it failed. The enormous thing lumbered along the ally, stopping again- it was close. Very, very close.

Smoker took her hand off of Hunter's arm and wrapped it around her own mouth, as if to stifle her very breath. Hunter's hands, one on Smoker's arm and the other on her shirt, squeezed tightly. The women searched each other's horrified eyes, forced into silence by the fear that whatever this thing was would find them-

It uttered a groan that shook nearby windowpanes, and both women jerked from the sound. They froze, fighting the urge to flee, when the thing suddenly moved away, towards the open street.

Only when its retreating grunts and behemoth shuffling echoed faintly off of the buildings around them, did the two begin breathing again.

Hunter drank in the stale city air, her chest heaving. Blood buzzed in her veins, alive with electric adrenalin. Smoker appeared almost shell-shocked. "What was that," Hunter managed in a quiet voice, still holding onto her friend's arm. "Did you see?"

"Just barely," Smoker replied, looking as if she was having trouble comprehending what she had seen. "It..." she shook her head, finding Hunter's eyes again. "That thing was...enormous. Some kind of mutant or something; I don't know."

A moment passed, and the two just sat and listened to any sounds that trickled into the alley. Smoker stood up slowly, and Hunter followed. Smoker looked to her friend. "...We _have _to get out of here."

* * *

><p>"<em>Shit," <em>Warlock cursed before he could stop himself, his voice as a mouse's compared to the robust fervor of the beast's growling. It was three stories below him on the street, but even from that far away he could tell how immense it was. Pressed up against the wall under a window, he could feel the vibrations caused by the thing's movement on the pavement. Warlock was shivering with fear, even after the monstrosity had lumbered by and gotten farther away.

For a moment he thought he'd pissed himself. Thankfully, it was just sweat. For now.

_What WAS that? Where did it COME from?_

His mind raced with questions as he stood again on wobbly knees, keeping his head low by instinct. Whatever it was, he couldn't worry about it now. It had moved on, and he had to move too. He was getting closer to the woman's crying. She hadn't stopped...which meant that she was still alive somewhere in this apartment. Now that the beast below had gone somewhere else, Warlock could once again pick out the much more subtle noises around him: breathing and shuffling from the other rooms in this place. If he wasn't careful, he got the feeling that another horde of those things would be on him again.

_Just find her, get her out, then I can-_

"UuuUUurrhp...bhurr...uuurrr..."

_Oh no..._

Warlock froze, crouching slightly in anticipation. The horrible retching sound seemed to echo off of the apartment walls, making it difficult to pin its source. "_UUUuurrh!" _Warlock spun around just in time to see a creature of immense girth stumble into view beside some stairs. Several of the hall lights were out, but there was enough coming in from the street lamps outside to see flashes of the thing pounding towards him- its face obscured by slimy boils, its inhumanly large gut taking up most of the hall. Before he even knew it, Warlock was running the other way. There was no way he could get around that thing, and he did not want to find out what it- "BLU_UUUAARRHHH-" _Warlock flinched in mid-run as a disgusting stream of hot bile splashed against the wall beside him.

He instinctively moved away from the stuff as he ran, dashing over to the other side of the hall and bursting through a doorway. Without checking to see if the room was inhabited, he turned around and immediately slammed the door behind him. As he backed away from it, panting, the stench of the creature's vomit singing his nostrils, he suddenly became aware that he had left himself vulnerable. Warlock stumbled as he turned to shoot a wide glance around the room.

There was no one else. But there was also no escape. The thing was heaving itself against the closed door, retching and belching the entire time. Running shaking hands through sweat-dampened hair, Warlock moved further into the small apartment room.

_Why does everything want to kill me, why doesn't it all just go AWAY, just-_

He sucked in a quick breath, shutting his eyes against a sudden wave of nausea.

_Not now...not now..._

The hay fever that had plagued him early yesterday morning was apparently making a return. Either that or he was feeling the effects of fatigue, anxiety, and over-exertion. When he opened his eyes again, it took a moment for his vision to realign itself. He was leaning heavily against the rear wall beside a window. Behind him, more of the things had joined the big one at the door. Their incessant howling and gibbering lent itself to the constant scratching and hammering of fists against wood.

_Go away go away go away_

Warlock flinched as the only thing between him and them began to splinter. Tears welled in his eyes, of desperation, cold fear, and determination. He tightly grit his teeth, shaking.

_Not gonna let her die..._

His learned habit of focusing on a task to overcome anxiety slowly drew him out of his panic.

Warlock pushed away from the wall and fumbled with the window, prying it open...

..and her crying became that much clearer. The woman that he'd heard before...whose wailing had not stopped yet, which he had honed in on from outside... _she's still alive. _Warlock swallowed, blinking hard for a moment to gather his wits before stepping out onto the rickety fire escape. The dead city seemed to stretch out before him, fishbowling for a second and causing him to pinwheel. _FUCK- _he grabbed onto the window ledge, catching a glimpse back inside the apartment- several of the things had stuck their arms through gaps in the door and were flailing zealously.

"Urgh.." Warlock ignored the rubbery feeling that was creeping into his limbs, and raised one leg to plant his foot squarely against the rusty iron rail. With the leverage from that, his hand on the window ledge, and his other hand on the perpendicular railing, he took in a shuddering breath.. and recklessly launched himself across the short gap to the adjacent fire escape.

The rotting mesh platform shuddered as he landed, his hands grabbing for the railing. Warlock let out a pained grunt as he fell onto his side, managing to cushion the blow with his shoulder. He rolled onto his stomach then, doing his best to suck in the air that had been knocked out. As he pulled himself up to the window, another helicopter passed overhead.

_Shit...gotta hurry._ _Get in, find her, get her to the roof...get in, find her, get her to the roof..._

He pushed the window open with some effort, wary of anything that might be lurking inside the darkened room, but pressed onward by the woman's mournful crying. There would be no living with himself if he didn't at least _try _to help her. He had a feeling that her crying would last forever in his mind if he ran away now.

_Just hold on...I'm nearly there.._

His eyes slowly adjusted to the dimness as he crept through the apartment. This one was completely torn to shreds, the furniture covered in blood. Every few steps yielded an unmoving, eviscerated body.

He stepped over another corpse, holding his breath as he anticipated it suddenly grabbing him.

_No going back. I have to do this._

She was so close. "Hello?" he called, his voice just above a whisper. The things were just outside the room, still beating on the door of the apartment down the hall. Warlock paused, listening. He looked along the wall as the woman cried, and spotted a bathroom door.

_That's it.._

Wiping cold sweat from his brow, and exchanging glances between the bathroom door and the front door, Warlock altered his course through the apartment. "Hello!" he called out again, gambling with a slight increase in volume. There was no response except for her continuous sobbing.

_She could be in shock..._

Warlock slipped into the bathroom.

There was no one there.

And yet her crying was strikingly clear, as if she were right..beside him..

With a steady realization, Warlock lifted his eyes towards the ceiling. Her sobs were coming through an air vent.

_She's on the other side of the wall.._

He backtracked, hurrying now, and swiftly turned out of the bathroom. The door to the apartment was open. Through it he could see the hallway intersecting at a 'T' with another hall that stretched on ahead- and the puking monstrosity from before was just entering the far end.

Warlock froze, his breath catching. It turned its bulbous head and spotted him immediately. "UUHHRRRrrr!" Both of them started forward at the same time- the bloated creature barreling along faster than it should have been able to down the hall, and Warlock jumping over prone corpses as he sprinted for the door.

_No no no you bastard NO-_

The thing was nearly on him, threads of bile hanging from its lips, it lunged forward- Warlock grabbed the wooden door with both hands and heaved with all his might, swinging it closed.

A tremendousimpact slammed into him immediately. The creature _exploded, _turning the door into timber. Warlock was knocked off his feet, blinded by cold slime. He hit the floor hard, bouncing once before tumbling violently to a halt against several bodies. Choking, spitting up the vile liquid, he cursed and wiped it from his eyes, his hands trembling from the pain. His body rung with panic.

They were pouring into the room

_No no no,nothowit'sgonnaend_

Finally he pulled in breath, pushed himself up, slipping on the thing's guts

_have to-_

they smashed him against the wall, a brutal wave of them, screaming at him

numbly he stood, against them, surrounded by crushing, swinging things. Their screaming assaulted his ears, his glands pumping everything that they could in a frenzy into his body. Warlock grabbed the two nearest hands, ignoring the ones tearing at his face, crushing their fingers in his shuddering fists as he doubled over and PUSHED, the woman's cries softly floating through the mob of mindless attackers

_I have to_

He was struck in the head, screamed at the thing and dealt one back with a blind punch, grabbing at them and pulling his way through them, forcing his way through their gauntlet of ripping hands and teeth,

bleeding, aware of his own mortality, terrified but still focused on her voice

_ i have to_

Driven to a knee, their brainless, violent swinging hitting him everywhere, face burning from blood coming out, ears ringing

_ get away from me just get away_

One of them hit his shoulder and he grabbed its arm, another hit his back as he pulled himself up, shoving himself forward, the doorway's _right there i can_

he went too far, he was up against a wall now. no, it wasn't the wall.

it was the

floor.

warlock dragged his arm up, and pressed down, but his wrist gave out. he brought his other arm up, his legs sluggishly pushing at the floor the bastards howled and swung down with brutal, psychotic fervor, bludgeoning him over and over

his other arm finally came up and the door was right there, right in his reach.

all he had to do was

_ get up, get up, get up..._

they were stepping on him, running, screeching a stampede over him

he had gone too far again, was at that wall again

warlock tried to look around, to find his way. everything was either dark or red, he couldn't see. the only sound was her voice, calling to him she was so close but he couldn't move now he couldn't help her couldn't get her out steady tears dripped from his eyes, falling away as labored breath trickled from split lips

there was no more pain, just a wall. one more big wall as he struggled to pull in a breath, and on the other side of the wall was his next breath.

but he couldn't make it over

air left him with a surge of fresh tears, but no new air came in, even though new tears kept

coming out.

as he listened to the woman crying, he thought about the others and tried to make the air that left him last a little bit longer

* * *

><p><em>Once more, Wilhelm! Once more, and then you may relax for a while. Remember that repetition breeds familiarity. Now then, from the beginning..<em>

(Father)

* * *

><p>"You're going to take it with you?" Smoker watched as Hunter hefted the gas can experimentally.<p>

"Yeah," her friend replied, looking to her then. "It's not too heavy. We might be able to use it later." Smoker thought about it for a moment, puffing nervously on a new cigarette. The close call with that monstrous beast had left them both shaken.

"Alright," she finally said, nodding. "But if we need to run, just drop it, ok?"

"Yeah," Hunter nodded in response.

The two of them continued on in silence for a little while, keeping to the alleyways. What was unnerving was that the massive beast they had heard before seemed to almost be following them. Every so often, they would hear its coarse breathing, and the window panes around them would rattle with its approach. Each time this happened, Hunter and Smoker quickly found cover, be it a doorway or a dumpster, and hid. When it was apparent that the thing was further away again, they would emerge from cover and continue on their way. It was a tedious system, but it worked.

Smoker actually ceased from lighting any more cigarettes, worried that whatever it was that was lumbering around could trace the smoke to its source. Hunter considered making some funny remark about withdrawal symptoms, but she knew it would be out of place. She was tired, frightened, and her hand was starting to cramp. Hunter paused for a moment to swap the gas can to her other hand. Smoker stopped beside her, restlessly flipping the zippo around in her hand. Suddenly, she looked up.

"Hey," Smoker whispered softly, gesturing with a nod. "Look..." Hunter turned, following her friend's eyes. The murky night sky was beginning to turn violet in the east.

"Sunrise?"

"Must be," Smoker agreed. She smirked then. "I wonder if those _things _melt in the sunlight."

Hunter grinned. "That's vampires, you dope," she prodded, feeling some relief from the tension that had haunted them since the arrival of the lumbering beast.

Smoker raised an eyebrow. "Vampires don't melt, they burn," she argued playfully. "Sort of like my popcorn does whenever you use my microwave." The two of them shared a brief chuckle despite themselves. "Well," Smoker continued after a moment, "we're almost out of the city. From there I guess we can try to...aw damn it."

"What?"

Smoker sighed. "Fence." She pointed further up ahead. Between two small apartment buildings, a high chain link fence blocked the next alley route.

Hunter shrugged nonchalantly. "I can climb that," she stated confidently.

"Of course you can," Smoker muttered. "You're practically a spider monkey. I, on the other hand, would prefer to keep my feet on the ground."

"We could go around," Hunter suggested, setting the gas can down momentarily.

Smoker gave it a thought, but shook her head. "Not a good idea. That would mean taking to the main road, which would put us out in the open."

Hunter looked thoughtful. "Yeah...I guess you're right. And with that thing out there..." she trailed off.

"Exactly. Climbing it is, I guess," Smoker sighed. She took one step forward, and froze. "Oh no..."

A small group of the zombies was gathering far on the other side of the fence, hissing furiously and batting at each other.

"_Shit,_" Hunter swore, quickly turning around. "Let's-" she stopped, her eyes widening.

Several blocks away, from the direction they had come, a very large shadow was lumbering in and out of the alleys. "We're trapped!" Hunter hissed, looking from the fence to the alleys and back again.

"It's ok," Smoker said, although the panic was apparent in her voice. "It's ok, it hasn't seen us. If we just-" She was cut off by a garbled yell. One of the zombies was running towards the fence. Two, three- suddenly an innumerable amount of them barreled around the side of the alley beyond the fence and began climbing.

"No..." Hunter's right hand went for her bat, but she looked to Smoker. "I-I can't fight that many," she admitted shakily, pupils dilated.

Smoker was just shaking her head in disbelief at the sight of the enormous horde. _Neither can I... _she wanted to say, but her mouth had completely dried. She shot a glance behind her. Every fiber of her being was telling her to run, but she did NOT want to run straight back into that _thing. _The zombies were fighting each other to get up the fence, like some dark tangled swarm of insects, nearly one solid mass clambering noisily up the steel grid.

Smoker looked from the alleys behind them to the one leading to the main road beside them. _Even if we run for it, they'll- _She turned again, clenching and unclenching her fists, her eyes wild and searching for some kind of solution, all the while forcing back the primal urge to flee. She looked at Hunter, then looked at the red can by Hunter's feet.

"The gas!" She rushed forward, scrambling to unscrew the cap.

"What are we doing?" Hunter asked quickly, standing by. Whatever it was, it had to work. It just HAD to. Several of the things were nearly at the top of the fence, and more were clustering at its base.

"Get ready," Smoker breathed, throwing one final glance behind her- no sign of the big one. "Ok," she threw the gas cap aside and flipped open the zippo that Warlock had given her. The first of the zombies had dropped from the top of the fence and was running at them. Her eyes flashed to Hunter's. "Help me push it towards them," she gushed, her friend nodding, and then she kicked the gas can over. "GO!" Hunter followed her lead as she dropped, pressing her hands against the heavy plastic canister. Together they ran forward, bent low, gaining speed as they ran _towards _the very monsters that were running at them_. _The can poured gas from the front, sliding easily on the slick it created as it went.

"LET GO!" Smoker yelled, shoving the container away from her with a final burst of strength. Hunter tumbled, coming up on one knee and bracing herself on a fist. She went for her bat as the two closest zombies scrambled for her..

Smoker had the lighter ready, and struck the flint as she lowered it to the trail of gas. The oily trail went up immediately, filling the alley with a flash of light. It followed the gas can, which was still sliding away from them. The can bounced against several zombies' legs, who quickly turned their attention from Hunter to the twisting flames. The can itself caught ablaze, and the alley was covered in writhing shadows of the zombies that gathered around it, howling madly. Hunter joined Smoker just as the can burst, sending a wave of heat outward in a flash. The two of them turned away instinctively, protecting themselves with their arms.

When they looked again, they could see a chaotic dispersion of the horde, flaming bodies racing frantically in all directions.

"Let's go!" Smoker yelled above the din, leading them down the side alley towards the main road. Some distance behind them, in the back alleys, the big one roared ferociously. Smoker glanced back as she ran, hoping that the thing would be attracted to the flaming horde and not them. Hunter was a few paces ahead, and-

"AAH!" Smoker shouted as she was pulled right off of the street.

"SMOKER!" Hunter skidded a halt, watching as her friend was drawn into the air by a thick, shiny cord. A tall silhouette on top of one of the apartments let out a raspy cry and heaved, retracting the cord- its tongue?- with Smoker in tow. The lighter dropped from Smoker's hand as she was yanked backwards, and it clattered to the street.

Thinking fast, Hunter rushed forward and grabbed the gleaming object.

"Urgh.. Hunter..." Smoker struggled fiercely, kicking her legs, but to no avail. She continued to be pulled up, passing the first story window of the apartment.

Hunter, meanwhile, had leapt onto the window ledge and pulled herself up with practiced movements. "Hold on!" she panted. Then, grabbing firmly onto the barred window with one hand, she twisted around and lit the zippo with a hard flick, stabbing it against the monster's tongue. The thing retracted its tongue with a gravelly yelp, and vanished into the shadows atop the building. Smoker dropped to the street, hitting feet-first and then falling over.

"Are you ok?" Hunter called out, jumping from the window and landing in a crouch. Smoker was climbing to her feet as Hunter joined her, and she nodded breathlessly to her friend.

The two of them ran from the alley, their eyes quickly scanning the main road for danger as the sounds of chaos continued behind them.

"There!" Smoker pointed to a newspaper stand, and the two of them ducked inside it, taking shelter.

For a few moments, they caught their breath and simply listened. The crackling of fire faded away after a minute, and the last of the burning zombies could be heard collapsing to the street after uttering wheezing, frustrated cries. Neither of them heard the sounds that they feared most- the big one. Smoker wasn't sure how to feel about that, actually. She felt as though it would appear out of nowhere and pounce on them the second they dared leave.

"That was fun," Hunter murmured, breaking the silence. Smoker couldn't help but grin, feeling a bit giddy from the adrenalin herself.

"Yeah," she muttered, "I could do this every day."

"Maybe you would finally get some exercise," Hunter joked.

Smoker shook her head, smiling wryly. "If you'll notice, that little stunt I pulled back there allowed me to avoid climbing the fence."

"Oh I'm sure that was your plan all along," Hunter laughed.

Smoker got a little more comfortable, sitting back against the news stand wall. "Seriously though, thanks for helping me back there..."

Hunter settled back on her haunches, resting her elbows on her knees. The corners of her lips turned up as she peeked out at Smoker from behind her folded arms. "Of course." _I couldn't leave you behind. _"Oh," she started, putting out a fist. "Here's your lighter back." Smoker reached forward, and Hunter placed the metallic zippo into her palm.

"Thanks," Smoker said quietly, running her thumb along its surface as she held it.

Hunter watched her. "You think Charger and Jockey ran into any monsters?"

"Hmm…I hope not," Smoker replied. She gave a short laugh. "I wouldn't even know how to describe the ones we've seen to them.."

They were both silent for a little while.

After a minute, they were both alerted by a familiar grunt in the distance. The big one. "We should go," Hunter said under her breath. Smoker nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we're almost out of here anyway." She stood up halfway, taking a quick look over the counter of the newsstand before standing fully upright. Hunter stood as well, hopping up and down a little to get the circulation going in her legs. They cautiously left the shelter of the newsstand, watching the surrounding buildings carefully for any sign of movement. Smoker turned her attention eagerly to the sky for a moment as they made their way down the road, noticing the subtle hint of a rosy hue emerging on the horizon. _Just a little bit more..._

Hunter had stopped walking.

Smoker stopped as well, looking at her. "Hunter?"

She seemed to be staring off blankly at nothing.

"Do you hear that?" Hunter asked, narrowing her eyes. Smoker glanced aside, listening. The faintest sound of someone crying could be heard.

"Someone else..." Hunter began.

"A survivor?"

They walked a little bit further, keeping their eyes open for the person. "There," Hunter said, lifting a hand to point ahead. Just further along the road sat a hunched figure.

The two of them slowed their pace, nearing the person. She was sitting right in the middle of the road, in what looked like underwear. With her head in her hands, she sobbed mournfully.

"Wait," Hunter whispered harshly, pointing again. Smoker looked closer... The woman's fingers ended in elongated claws.

"Shit, she's one of those things," Smoker whispered.

Hunter was already moving aside, towards the buildings by the street. She gestured to Smoker. "We should try to go around her," she suggested.

Smoker nodded. "You're right." She followed suit, keeping her eyes on the mysterious crying woman. "She almost looks-"

"_**WRAAAAAUUUGGHH!" **_Both women jumped, turning just in time to see a massive, hulking shape slam down onto the road behind them. The big one had found them. Thrown off balance at first by the sheer impact of the monster, Hunter and Smoker needed no further incentive to run.

They bolted, heading straight for the crying one in the road, but splitting up- Hunter went left, Smoker right, each one giving the clawed woman a wide berth. She started as they fled by, her sobbing cut short with a gasp of surprise.

"_**AAAAARRRRHHH!" **_big one screamed, and Smoker could feel the vibrations from its horrible voice even as she ran. Risking everything to shoot a glance behind her- the crying woman slowly getting up, locked on her with crimson glowing eyes- Smoker felt her blood grow icy as the big one, adorned by a simple shred of black clothing which barely covered even a portion of its massive torso, lifted a _van _above its head..

"_WATCH OUT!"_

Hunter heard Smoker shout from behind, and was just turning her head in mid-run to look, when she was suddenly shoved hard.

"AHK-" Hunter was sent sprawling, away from the building which she had instinctively been running beside. She tumbled hard to the street, barely catching herself with her hands. "NGH!" the asphalt bit into her, but she managed to tuck her chin and twist her shoulder to absorb the impact as she rolled several times before coming to a stop.

The shriek of metal hitting rock filled the air; Hunter pushed her upper body off of the street, turning...

She watched, terrified as a flaming van tore along the street on its side and slammed violently against a building- with Smoker caught inbetween.

Hunter barely noticed herself screaming. She was on her feet instantly, the pain of her injuries gone, trying to form her friend's name on her lips.

The van's gas tank burst as the flames reached it, sending a blast of heat that caused her to flinch even as she felt herself running forward _no no no, no, Smoker, no.. _

The clawed woman, showered in fire from the explosion, shrieked wretchedly and sprinted away from the site, her arms out to the sides, claws bared. The woman on fire attacked the huge creature, slashing it across the chest. It bellowed in pain as huge rivulets of flesh were torn from its massive body. The beast immediately swung one of its viciously muscled arms in retaliation, swatting the woman away as if she were a doll. The clawed woman hit a building across the street with horrifying force, before dropping limply to the street.

Meanwhile, Hunter, her mind reeling with what had just taken place, gasped outwardly as she fought her way through the smoke of the wreckage. Tears poured down her face, leaving streaks in the fresh ash. She choked on a sob, holding one arm over her mouth while the other searched in vain through rubble that scraped and cut her. "SMOKER!" she managed to shout, before coughing again. "No, no..." Moaning in desperation, Hunter scurried around to the other side of the van, tripping and stumbling over chunks of wreckage. Her stomach wrenched and knotted as she searched desperately for her friend, ignoring the logic yielded from seeing Smoker get caught between the building and the van in the collision. _She's not, she's not, she's not...Smoker, no, COME ON! _"SMOKER, SAY SOMETHING! I CAN'T FIND YOU!"

Behind her, the clawed woman lifted her head, struggling to try and push herself up. The fire continued to burn at her flesh, and she released one final, blood-curdling shriek that made Hunter's ears buzz.

The smoke grew thicker, and Hunter half sobbed, half growled as she wiped furiously at her eyes, refusing to give up.

From another part of the city, something else cried out. It was a sound unlike any that had been heard during the course of the dreadful night. It tore through the air, a siren of immeasurable pain and fury that seemed to respond to the crying woman's last suffering lament.

Tremendous footsteps shook the road. The towering monster was coming for Hunter, uttering its own rage-filled bellow. Hunter, frantic nearly to the point of psychosis, ignored it- ignored her natural instinct to run, and kept searching. She reached out blindly, yelling suddenly as her hand touched burning metal. Hunter jerked back, tripping on the broken road and landing hard.

The ground beneath her rocked, and she beheld the beast bearing down upon her. Hunter glared sharply, trembling with a mixture of emotions where she half-lay, half frozen in awe, but still unwilling to leave. She wrapped one hand around the hilt of her bat. _I'll kill you- _The monster yelled again victoriously, raising a fist- nearly as large as Hunter was - as it ran to assault her, when something struck the beast so fast that it had scarcely been a blur. Blindsided, the monster stumbled in its gait and crashed into the wall of the building, barely able to utter a surprised grunt. Someone- some_thing _clung to its body, standing atop one massive shoulder with a fiendishly clawed hand driven deeply into the beast's neck.

Hunter scrambled backwards, letting monster tear into monster. She hurried to a large chunk of drywall right beside the wrecked van, _please just say something, please- _and began to try and lift it. "Rrgh…Smoker, speak to me!" Just then, the corner of the building that had been impacted by the van shifted.. and collapsed in an enormous heap. Hunter was thrown back, landing on the street again as rubble bounced on and beside her. Silence filled the street.

The blow had knocked the wind out of her, and her limbs felt like weights as she struggled to sit up. More tears slipped down her cheeks as she lay helplessly, fighting to move, unable to breathe in. "_Smoker_," she whimpered, feeling for the ground beneath her and pushing weakly, her vision blurring... Her lungs expanded finally, and she drew in a deep gasp as she sat up- only to have it choked with a torrent of sobs. Hunter shook terribly as she made herself move forward, crawling, her arms nearly giving out with the weight of each sob that wracked her shoulders. The pile of rubble looked like a crude grave. "_No..." _she barely managed through cracked lips, wetness dripping from her face onto the dust-strewn rubble. _No, no..._ She felt dwarfed by the enormous heap- practically a quarter of the building itself- before her.

"_Please,"_ she pushed onward, rising finally, her stomach twisted in a knot so painful that she couldn't even stand straight. Trembling hands grabbed at the closest hunk of rubble.. Hunter sucked in as large a breath as she could, shuddering, trying to keep it together- and pushed. Harder, her face turning red, shoes scraping against the dust, she heaved with everything that she had and more against the pile of wreckage. It didn't budge in the slightest. Hunter did not yield. She threw herself against the piece of rubble, her jaw burning as she grit her teeth, tendons protesting in her arms and legs..

The stark, motionless silence was the only product of her efforts. Its cold, unforgiving truth suffocated her, sapping her of any remaining strength or will.

Hunter collapsed, crying openly. Unable to hold back, she wept hard, her cries of agony the only sound in the area. "_Sbmokee-er," _she sobbed, unable to breathe through her nose any longer. She threw her head onto her arms, hot tears pouring freely against the rubble.

A movement alerted her- a tumbling rock, making her jerk with an abrupt gasp. She looked up, and found herself staring at the thing that had attacked the huge monster. It stood quietly before her, blood-red eyes glowing intensely and staring straight into her own bloodshot gaze. Hunter didn't move. She swallowed, holding back sobs. _I won't leave..._

Realization struck her then. Hunter's eyes widened as she saw in the creature's visage a familiar person. Someone Smoker had known, if only briefly.

It made a sharp noise then, turning its head aside and lifting one clawed hand in front of its face as a sudden brightness struck it.

Hunter gasped, turning around to see that the sun had risen over the mountains in the distance, bathing the city limits in the first light of the morning. When she turned back, he had gone. She was alone, in silence once again. Hunter felt a painful lump rising in her throat as she looked over the rubble, her eyes welling with fresh tears..

Her weeping almost drowned out the sound of the approaching engine, until it grew closer. She felt a bitter sensation overwhelm her, overshadowing any feelings of relief or hope. _Not leaving. I'm not leaving, I-_

"There she is! HUNTER!" a voice rang out. A voice that she knew.

Hunter turned in surprise, watching as a jeep pulled up to the outskirts with two women in the front seats. Charger was driving, and Jockey was standing on the seat beside her, gripping the roll cage tightly with one hand and pointing frenziedly with the other. Hunter stood up slowly, sniffling, one hand remaining on the hunk of rubble beside her. "G...guys...!" she managed, wiping at her eyes with one sleeve.

Charger parked the jeep, and Jockey was already leaping out of it. She hit the ground running, with Charger close behind. "Are you alright?" Charger called out, med-kit in hand.

Jockey raced up to Hunter, taking hold of her shoulders. "I can't believe it!" She hugged her friend tightly, making a joyful noise.

Charger jogged up beside her, surveying the scene. "Where's Smoker?"

Hunter felt a rock hit the bottom of her stomach. She wavered on her feet, taking in a shaky breath as Jockey searched her tearful eyes. "S-...s-she..." Hunter stuttered, several tears hanging on her lashes before rolling away.. She gazed out over the rubble, unsure of where to even point to where Smoker's body was.

"_Kaf- kaf! _Ugh..."

The three of them started at the muffled coughing, Jockey and Charger looking around in confusion while Hunter's jaw hung open in shock, her eyes nailed to the rubble right in front of her. "SH-SHE'S HERE! SMOKER? _SMOKER?_" With a burst of renewed strength, Hunter dug her already bleeding fingers underneath of the debris and _heaved._ "UUUR_RRRGHHH!" _The rubble shifted, kicking up dust.

Jockey stared for a split second before joining in. "Help her!" she yelled, grabbing onto an exposed rebar and tugging fervently. The large chunk from the building slid a few inches, bits and pieces of smaller rubble tumbling away from it.

Charger tossed the med-kit aside and shoved one foot back, taking a low stance. "HOLD ON!" She rushed forward, throwing her shoulder against the rubble. It jumped half a foot, and finally toppled aside, causing a small dust cloud.

Hunter didn't hesitate, holding her breath as she rushed into the debris. Her eyes burned from the dust, but she didn't stop. Rock after rock, she hurled debris aside like it was crumpled up paper, despite the painful throbbing in her arms. _Don't stop, don't STOP, come on Smoker hang on! _Her stomach fluttered and churned with emotions that drastically clashed with the ones she had just been overwhelmed by, her legs shaking with fatigue. But she did not stop. Smoker coughed again, louder this time. _Please be ok; I'll never make fun of you again!_

Jockey and Charger were at her sides, both sweating now as they too threw aside bricks and plaster. Jockey's arms were practically windmills, her eyes zipping from piece to piece as fast as she could grab and throw behind her. Charger worked at the larger chunks, grunting with effort as she rolled and heaved them away, careful to watch for signs of where Smoker was trapped.

Hunter's breath labored through gritted teeth, and she felt panic closing in as the intervals between Smoker's coughing grew longer and longer. "Hurry!" she pleaded, hurling a brick away and thrusting her hand forward with urgency. Hunter fumbled to grab a chunk of drywall, and gasped suddenly as her hand found flesh. She froze, holding her breath, straining forward to feel with her fingers.. it was a hand.

.._Smoker.._

It moved then, gripping hers weakly. "GOT HER!" Hunter cried, tearing madly at the rubble with her free hand as the others honed in on the area, ripping away the debris. She made herself let go of Smoker's hand, only so that she could grab the large piece of drywall right above it andpull with all her might. She could feel Smoker actually pushing from the other side, and Hunter let out a yell of effort, heaving with all she had left. She stumbled backwards, letting go of the drywall as it fell beside her and broke in half.

Smoker sat up weakly, Jockey immediately kneeling down by her while Charger shoved away one last piece of rubble from Smoker's legs.

Hunter went limp with relief, and she threw herself forwards, a sharp cry of elation bursting from her with tears of happiness as she embraced Smoker tightly, burying her face against the woman's neck.

"My...ribs..." Smoker grunted, but she was holding Hunter just as tightly while she said this. Hunter just breathed, clinging to her friend as if the world would end at any second.

"_I thought you...were...I" _Hunter managed between tears, her voice muffled in Smoker's shirt.

Smoker smiled gently, feeling a pang inside her at the words.

"No way..." she answered, cradling Hunter in her arms.

"Woo-_WOOO!_" Jockey yelped, leaping into the air and pumping her fist, happy to be reunited with her friends.

Charger, meanwhile, grabbed the med-kit and popped it open. "Thank goodness you two are alright!" She rifled around in the box, then winced at the gash on Smoker's forehead. "Anything broken?"

Smoker shook her head slowly. "No, I don't think so..." She stood up carefully, with Hunter and Jockey each supporting an arm. "I fell through a window right as the van hit the-" she stopped suddenly, her eyes widening as she looked around. "...That big one. Did you guys kill it?"

Charger looked up from a rag that she was soaking with hydrogen peroxide. "...Big one? You mean a _tank?_" her eyes widened now too, and she quickly began surveying the surrounding area.

Jockey's hand went to a sheathed knife at her side. "We didn't see anything on our way in..."

"No, Smoker it..." Hunter began, gathering her words. She was still very much shaken up from everything had happened. All eyes turned to her. "Something else attacked it. I saw. That crying one in the street, and then another one…it was...that guy from yesterday."

"…What guy, you mean Warlock?" Smoker raised both eyebrows. "_Warlock_ fought that thing?"

"It wasn't him," Hunter answered. Her eyes fell then, and she frowned. "I mean…it was, but he...he was different; he changed." She shook her head slowly. "He was one of them."

A heavy silence followed her words. When she looked up at Smoker, the woman wore a tired expression. She shook her head then, looking off at some of the buildings. "So he didn't make it either." She looked troubled for a moment, thoughtful. "..I wonder how many people died last night." As she said this, her left hand squeezed Hunter's arm. "But..." she took in a deep breath and then released it, "at least we're all still in one piece." A tender smile crossed her lips.

"Yeah, that's right!" Jockey added enthusiastically.

"Excuse me," Charger addressed in a grave tone, still holding the rag and a bandage. "But you mentioned that there had been a tank, and that something was _fighting it_..." Hunter looked over at her concerned friend.

"It's ok, it-...he left. Right before you guys got here. He just disappeared," she explained, shrugging.

"Well," Charger began, looking a bit skeptical as she dabbed at Smoker's forehead. "I still say we get to the jeep and get out of here as soon as we can."

"That sounds good to me," Hunter agreed.

"I'll get 'er started up!" Jockey offered, snatching the keys and running off towards the vehicle.

Charger finished wrapping Smoker's injury. "Thanks," Smoker replied, touching the bandage with her hand. "I mean...all of you. Thank you." Her eyes went from Charger's nod and smile to Hunter's beaming face. "I'm glad we all found each other again."

Hunter was at a complete loss for words. She was grinning too widely to be able to form them anyway.

"Let's roll 'em!" Jockey called out, revving the engine as she waved from the jeep. Charger took Smoker's other arm, and they began walking over. Hunter worried over Smoker's slight limp, but the woman assured her it was no big deal.

"Wait," Smoker said, stopping all of a sudden. Charger and Hunter stopped, watching her.

"What is it?" Hunter asked.

"Is something following us?" Charger added.

"No, not that," she replied. Smoker turned around, leaving the two of them and limping back to the rubble as she dug around in her pockets for something.

Hunter watched as Smoker drew a single cigarette from one pocket, and the zippo from another. Her brow creased in worry. "Smoker..."

"Don't worry," Smoker assured, lighting the cigarette, "this one's not for me..." Smoker knelt down slowly, stifling a grunt of pain. With care, she brought the cigarette forward, its end smoldering steadily. She placed it between some rocks, with the lit end up. After she made sure it was secure, she stood again.

_...Thanks..._

Smoker turned and rejoined her friends, and they headed back to the jeep together.

The engine's constant rumble was beginning to coax Hunter's eyelids closed. But every time her head nodded forward, she shook herself awake. One hand clung to the hem of Smoker's shirt, who sat next to her.

In front, Jockey was driving while Charger looked over a map. She said a few things to Jockey, and the girl nodded. The words seemed to drift together, sweeping past Hunter's sleepy ears as the scenery passed her eyes. She had pulled her hood back, letting the breeze ruffle her short hair.

Suddenly, she felt a subtle movement beside her. Looking down tiredly, Hunter noticed that Smoker's hand had turned palm up. She looked up, and Smoker was smiling at her, looking very tired herself. Hunter couldn't stop the timid smile from appearing on her lips, and she looked down again..moving her hand to rest in Smoker's palm. A warmth spread through her as their fingers slowly entwined. Hunter was content to watch her hand in Smoker's, and gave it a gentle squeeze. Within moments, she had fallen asleep.

Smoker studied her friend's sleeping face, smirking in amusement at the soft smile that remained on Hunter's lips. She turned her attention forward again as Jockey spoke up.

"So do you think we're immune to whatever caused all this?" the girl asked, glancing back before she turned her attention to the dirt road ahead of them once again.

Smoker looked out the side of the jeep, noticing several large rain clouds in the distance. "I hope so," she answered, squeezing Hunter's hand.

* * *

><p><em>Field work has been pretty stress-free today, so far. I wish there were more easygoing clients like the one I just finished with. That girl peeking in through her window seemed interesting too. Haha, listen to me. I sound like I actually want to make friends with people and start hanging out. Well, maybe I can't be a hopeless recluse forever. I guess I'll see how I feel over the weekend. I hope tomorrow is as nice as it was today.<em>

(Entry from Warlock's journal)


End file.
